


The Best Years of Our Lives

by MissTangle



Category: Mission: Impossible (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Relationship, This title is cliche but what else am I supposed to call a Benthan high school au?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-04 22:12:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16798054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissTangle/pseuds/MissTangle
Summary: Ethan is a high school track star. Benji is a new foreign exchange student. They're in love with each other, and the whole school knows it... except Ethan and Benji, of course.





	The Best Years of Our Lives

**Author's Note:**

> Me? Writing a multi-chapter fic? It’s less likely than you’d think, I shamelessly stole this idea from [this post](http://ineverhadadoubt.tumblr.com/post/179474351663/concept-that-high-school-au-except-benji-just) produced by my wonderful friends [@ineverhadadoubt](http://ineverhadadoubt.tumblr.com/) and [@shakespeareanmemes](http://shakespeareanmemes.tumblr.com/). I’ve been promising them this for like a month now, so I think it’s high time I delivered. This first chapter also doubles as a birthday present for @ineverhadadoubt!
> 
> I’m not sure how frequently this will be updated (or how long it’ll be). I’ve never attempted a multi-chapter before, and this is kind of a weird time of year in terms of schedule. I’m hoping that I can crank out a few chapters over winter break and then post them while I get used to my new semester schedule. Fingers crossed!
> 
> Alright, I’ll stop rambling and let you read now. Without further ado, I present the Benthan high school au (~version one~)!

Tomorrow was the big day. New year, new school, new country. Benji would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little nervous. At least he wasn’t going in completely blind — his host family included a boy his age, Will, who had graciously offered to show him around before the first day. They’d already made their rounds through the main school building and were now making their way around the school’s outdoor facilities. Not that Benji really cared too much about any of that. He was more of an indoor person, really, although he did enjoy the occasional football match — and proper football, too, not the strange American version.

Benji had only been half listening to Will for longer than he cared to admit, but he refocused when they approached the school track, where the new school year’s track team was already engaged in practice. Will pointed out one of the boys talking with the coach. “That’s my friend Ethan. He’s team captain.”

Benji took one look at Ethan and immediately regretted it.

Ethan had to be the most gorgeous human being Benji had ever laid eyes on. Dark brown hair blowing softly in the gentle breeze, an angelic smile, and the well-defined calves of a long-distance runner to top it all off. Benji wondered if the strange feeling in his chest was what people called love at first sight.

“I suppose I should warn you now, since you’ll probably end up friends with him, too.” Will’s voice drew Benji back to reality. God, had he been staring? “He’s one of the more popular kids around here. Especially with those who happen to like guys.”

_I can believe that_ , Benji thought to himself, risking one more glance towards Ethan. He was just in time to watch Ethan start a lap, easily pulling away from his teammates in spectacular fashion. The feeling in Benji’s chest intensified. He pulled his eyes away from the elegant sight and resolved himself to ensure that nobody would ever, _ever_ find out just how fast he’d fallen for the most popular boy in school.

“I hope I get to meet him.” Benji meant it, but was also terrified at the prospect. He offered Will a perfectly formed smile to hide his thoughts. He was going to have to brush up on his poker face, he could already tell. “So, where to next?”

***

Ethan wasn’t sure why he’d decided that taking math first period was a good idea. At least he was in the class with Luther. He hoped that suffering alongside his best friend might at least make the class tolerable.

There were still a few minutes before class started, and the two had been chatting when Luther suddenly pointed out a student that had just walked in. “There’s the foreign exchange student that’s staying with Will. Benji, I think his name is.”

Ethan took one look at Benji and immediately rejoiced in it.

Benji had to be the cutest person Ethan had ever seen. Soft sandy hair, small shy smile, and adorable black framed glasses, to boot. Something squeezed in Ethan’s chest, and he wondered if perhaps he’d just fallen in love. People always talked about love at first sight, after all.

“Oh no.” Luther eyed Ethan warily. “I know that look.”

Ethan simply grinned back at Luther. “We’re talking to him after class. I absolutely must meet him.”

“I can’t imagine why.”

“Any friend of Will’s is a friend of mine.”

“Like that’s the _only_ reason you want to meet him.”

“Is it that obvious?” Ethan hoped it was just Luther’s familiarity with him that made him so easy to read. He had his reputation to think of, after all — but more than that, he didn’t want to scare Benji off. He couldn’t have anybody finding out just how fast he’d fallen for the newest kid in school.

As it was, Ethan didn’t have much time to dwell on his concerns. The teacher was ready to begin class, the worksheets were already being passed out. So Ethan sat anxiously through both syllabus and pretest, planning out exactly what he would say to Benji, waiting for the bell to ring so he could finally have the chance to introduce himself.

When at last the shrill sound of the dismissal bell rang through the classroom, Ethan sprang from his seat and all but ran to the front of the room to hand in his papers. He could feel his heart pounding, the sound of it loud in his own ears. He hoped Benji wouldn’t be able to hear it. He dropped his test in the stack on the teacher’s desk and turned on a dime, taking a few steps towards the desk he knew Benji had been sitting at before it hit him.

Benji was already gone.

Ethan stood in the aisle in shock, staring at the desk where Benji had been just moments before. How had he managed to get out of the classroom so fast? Ethan couldn’t believe he’d missed his chance.

“That was fun to watch.” Luther sidled up and stood next to Ethan. “C’mon, man, we’d better go or we’ll be late.”

Ethan narrowed his eyes at the desk. He wasn’t about to give up so easily. “Luther, think you can find out if Benji and I have any more classes together?”

Luther chuckled slightly in that particular way of his. “I’ll see what I can do.”


End file.
